2 min read

Accessibility-driven development

Cover from Apple Accessibility Inspector doc. Accessibility symbol on an icon with a magnifier and many GUI elements collage

I have been rethinking the challenges that some teams face when incorporating accessibility into existing pipelines. It seems that we (people involved in making products) will require a development methodology that is accessibility-driven and involves the execution of automated accessibility audits during testing. Apple made some hints at the Perform accessibility audits for your app talk, and I couldn't be more optimistic, especially since testing could have a new direction. Unfortunately, there is currently no option for UITesting on visionOS, which highlights the complexities involved (imagine a continuous integration system running and reporting tests related to immersive environments).

On the other hand, I believe that the way VoiceOver and other assistive features work on the visionOS simulator demonstrates a strong interest in developing these capabilities, even if it differs from the Accessibility Inspector process we use when developing for other platforms. There are some ways to get there (ingraining accessibility on our systems), and for now, one of the best candidates is to improve testing for accessibility and do it on all platforms.


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Thank you @jonathanchacon for forcing me to rethink UITesting
Perform accessibility audits for your app - WWDC23 - Videos - Apple Developer
Discover how you can test your app for accessibility with every build. Learn how to perform automated audits for accessibility using…